Metal-mixing machine



May 18 1926. 1,585,155

J. H. KONIGSBERG METALJ MIXING MACHINE Filed July 21. 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Fi .5 Fi .1

51'" W 4 NE) May 18 1926.

J. H. KONIGSBERG METAL: MIXING MACHINE File y 2l, 1923 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5A TTOHNEYS Patented May 18, 1926.

U I T S T JOSEPH H. 'KONIGSBERG, 051 NEW YORK, N, Y.

METAL-MIXING MACHINE.

Application filed July 21, 1923. Serial No. 652,942.

This invention relates to metal puddling mechanism and particularly tothat type of such mechanism which is adapted to operate a stirring rodhaving one end thereof inserted into a melting-pot.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of means forautomatically puddling a molten metal alloy into a homogene ous mixture,in simulation of a hand puddling operation. V

A still further object of this invention is the provision of meansreadily adjustable to reach all over pots of various sizes forthoroughly mixing the molten metal contained in pots varying greatly indiameter and depth.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of means forascertaining the temperature of the mixture during the mixing operation,and at different points in the ot. P For the attainment of the aforesaidand other objects as will appear from the description which follows, Iemploy the mechanism shown in the preferred forms in the accompanyingdrawings in which,

' Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved mechanism showing themining or stirring rod partly broken away and fore-shortened.

Fig. 2 is a partial horizontal section of my improved mechanism taken onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved mechanism.

Fig. l is a section on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of a portion of the machine, showing various arcs of motionand some of the different sizes and shapes of pots to which my mechanismcan be adjusted.

In the practical embodiment of my invention I provide an adjustablemixing or stirring rod 10, preferably hollow through out the lengththereof for allowing the passage of air therethrough to cool said rod. Aconcave ladle 100 similar in shape to that used in hand puddling issuitably secured, as by means of the set screw 101, to the lowermostextremity of said rod 10, and has suitablev openings as 11. Said rod issuitably supported in the bearing 13 for longitudinal motion therein,while said bearing 13 is preferably pivoted at 12 on the upstandingbifurcated arm 14: for oscillation about a horizontal axis, whereby thesaid blade-like ladle 100 may be oscillated in a substantially verticalplane, while free to move longitudinally.

Said arm 1 1 terminates at its lower end in a vertical, hollow,cylindrical portion 114, and is mounted on a substantially upright stud115, secured to the link 15, whereby movement of said rod in ahorizontal are about a vertical axis, is permitted. It will be seen fromthe above that the mixing rod 10 is so mounted that universal movementof the ladle 100 in any direction can be obtained.

Means are provided for guiding said link 15 for movement in a plane,preferably horizontal. Said means comprises the upper guide plate 16,the lower guide plate 17, between which plates the link 15 isconstrained to move, and the connecting rod 18 pivotal- 1y secured tothe end of said link 15 at one end 19. The other end 20 of saidconnecting rod is adjustably held in the crank 21,

on the worm shaft 27, the worm 28 on said shaft 27, and the worm wheel29 on said shaft 22. A lead screw 30 is supported at one end thereof inthe end 31 of the crank 21 and is arranged in the groove 32 of saidcrank, the other end of said screw carrying the bevel gear 37, meshing;with the bevel gear 34. The shaft 22 is made hollow in order to carrythe bevel gear shaft 35, on

one end of which said bevel gear 3 1 is mounted and the other end ofwhich is squared as at 36 for engagement with a suitable removable crankhandle or wrench not shown, whereby said shaft 35 and the gear 34:carried thereby may be manually rotated for purposes of adjusting theoperative length of the crank 21 when the machine is stopped for thatpurpose as will be more fully described hereafter. It will be understoodthat the shaft 35 is operatively connected to the shaft 22 during theoperation of the machine as by means of a suitable set screw, so thatthe shafts 22 and 35 and the crank 21 all rotate as a unit, and thatsaid shafts 22 and 35 are operatively disconnected when it is desired toadjust the nut 39.

A universal joint 40 of any suitable type at the end of the connectingrod 13 is suita bly secured to the nut 39, which is so mounted on thelead screw that said nut cannot rotate with said screw but is permittedto move longitudinally of said screw on the rotation thereof.

It will be seen that the distance of the end 20 of the connecting rod 18from the center of the shaft may be readily adj usted by-rotating theshaft in the proper direction after the set screw securing said shaftstogether has beenloosened, thereby rotating the lead screw 30 throughthe gears 31- anc 37 and causing the nut 39 and the joint 40 carriedthereby, together with the end 20 of the rod 18, to move along saidscrew to the required point. The radius of the circle, in which said end20 of the con necting rod moves, is thereby varied, and the stroke ofthe connecting rod correspondingly varied.

The rod 18' is also given transverse reciprocatory movement in additionto its longitudinal movement. This is accomplished by means ofthe cam llon the shaft -l2, (Fig. 2) said shaft being rotated through the gear e3on the shaft 22 meshing with the gear on the shaft 45, onwhich is alsomounted the bevel gear 46 meshing with the bevel gear 1 7 on said shaft42. A suitable bearing 48 supports the cam rod 49, at one end of whichthe cam roller 50 is suitably supported, while the other end of said rod49 carries the guide frame 51. through which the connecting rod 18 is'passed. Said. guide frame 51 is suiiiciently' high to allow for therotation of the end 20 of said rod 18 iua circle, but the width of saidframe is substantially the same as that of the rod 18. The entire frame51 together with the rod 49 carrying said frame are caused" to move inthe direction of the axis of said rod 19 or substantially perpendicularto the rod 18, by means of the cam 41, whereby the link 15 isreciprocated horizontally between the guides 16 and 17, carrying thestirring rod 10, and the ladle '100 mounted thereon,across the pot.

The gear wheels 413 and 44 are so proporsyn is not, therefore, broughtback to its initial point after each. revolution of th crank, but

00 red 10 is the universal joint 53 to a point in spaced relation tosaid initial point. At the upper end 52 of thestirring by means of whichsaid rod 1 0 is operatively connected to the lead screw 130. A nut 139is connected to the pin 5st of said universal joint and is mounted formovement on the screw 130. The adjustment of the not 139 on the leadscrew 130 for varying the operative radius are then brought to suchpoints of the crank 121, being substantially identical with that of thecorresponding crank 21 and the adjusting mechanism carried thereby, thedetailed description above of said crank and adjusting mechanisn'i willsuffice for both mechanisms. On the shaft 122 carrying the bevel gear13-l is a sprocket wheel 55 (Fig. 3) operatively connected, as by meansof the sprocket chain 56 to the sprocket wheel 57 on the shaft 22,whereby said shafts 22 and 122 and the parts carried thereby areoperated in unison.

F or ascertaining the temperature of the molten metal in any of the pots5i)- and (30 a pyroineter rod (ll is passed through the hollow stirringrod 10, and is supported in a suitable bearing 161 secured by the screw101 to said rod 10, a number of holes 111 in said bearing allowing thepassage of air therethrough. Said rod ('31 is operatively connected, asby means of suitable wires 55 to the indicator dial 62, whereby thetemperature at any point in the pot in which the end of the pyrometerrod is temporarily posi tioned can be easily read, and the variations intemperature during the mining operation determined. A cross (53, isinterposeo at any point in the hollow rod 10, a suita le pipe 164leading from one opening in said or to an air blower as 64:, while thepyromet wires 65 to the indicator dial 62 may be through the otheropening in said cross. During the mining operation, air is blown throughsaid hollow rod and throu h the openings 111 in the bearingltil, by insaid blower (i l, whereby quan'ti ies of continuous y liberated at diffcout p .r the pot, said air serving to agitate the metal therein duringthe act of escaping to the surface. The air has the further effect ofgathering the impurities in the meta to carrying said impurities to theSt or where they may readily be skimmed off.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows:

The length of the hollow rod 10, is first djusted by loosening the setscrew 110, and telescoping the parts together 1 separatr said parts.

The universal connecting joints s0 and alo the axes of the adjustingscrews 30 and 30 at the proper distance from the center of the shafts 35and 135,.as will the ladle lot), motion in the desired Jath.

llU

tially the same manner as though it were manually used by a skilledpuddler. That is, the heavier metal, which tends to fall to the bottomof the pot, is scooped up and spilled around and up through the lightermetal to the top of the pot and left there by the withdrawal of theladle from thereunder, while the plane of the path of the ladle isconstantly being changed to insure thorough mixing of the metal in allparts of the pot.

After the correct operative lengths of the cranks 21 and 121 have beendetermined and the universal joints 40 and 53 set at the proper points,through the rotation of the shafts 30 and 130, the shafts 22 and aresecured together, power is applied to the shafts 22 and 122 through thevarious pulleys and gears, and the cranks 21 and 121 are continuouslyrotated.

It will be seen that the motion of the crank 121 causes the ladle tomove from left to right across the pot and vertically up and down insaid pot, (Fig. 5) in a path determined largely by the additionalmovement given to the pivotal bearing 13.

If said bearing 13 were held against movement longitudinally ortransversely of the rod 10, then the path of motion of the ladle wouldbe substantially elliptical. The diameter and shape of the ellipticalpath of travel a can be varied by varying the operative lengths of thecrank 121 and of the rod 10 as above described. By positioning the endof the connecting rod 18 opposite the center of the shaft 22, nolongitudinal movement of the connecting rod 18 results and the bearing13 does not move except as transverse movement is given thereto by thecam 41. The combination of the elliptical movement of the ladle with thetransverse movement resulting from the action of said cam,nonsynchronously with said elliptical movement, causes the ladle toreach all the points of an ordinary pot.

For unusual shapes of pots, the path of motion may be elongatedhorizontallyas at 66, Or vertically as at 68, by varying the lengths ofthe cranks 121 and 21 and of the rod 10 correspondingly.

It will also be seen that the motion of the crank 21 carries the bearing13 from left to right and back in a horizontal path, since the link 15is constrained to move horizontally between the guides 16 and 17 Theresult of the combined movements is that the ladle travels in the path66 when the universal joints 53 and 10 are at the extreme outermost endsof their respective cranks 122 and 22. Similarly, if the universaljoints 53 and are carried along the lead screws 130 and 30, in themanner hereinbefore described, to positions nearer the centers of therespective mafts 122 and 22, and the length of the rod 10correspondingly adjusted, the path of motion of the ladle is reduced asshown at 67 Fig. 5 to fit a pot of an intermediate size as 59. Furthershortening of the operative lengths of the cranks and of the stirringrod to the proper degree, results in the movement of the ladle in thepath 68 suitable for the narrow deep pot as 58.

While the ladle 100 is traveling in the paths indicated, the air forcedthrough the hollow rod 10, cools said rod and passes out, substantially,vertically through the molten metal, thereby agitating and purifyingsaid metal.

It will be seen that owing to the peculiar path of motion given to theladle, substantially every part of the pot is reached either by theladle itself or by the escaping air, and that the contents of said potmust become thoroughly mixed with even more certainty than if handpaddling were resorted to.

It will also be seen that the end of the warning of any undue change intemperature is given.

It will be seen further that the entire ma chine may be shifted to anypoint on a floor,

and is readily adjusted for the mixing of metal in any one of a seriesof pots, and that if the paths of motion of the ladle ina complete cyclewere joined by a warped surface, said surface would be an oblateirrotational ellipsoid.

It will be noted that when the crank 21 is adjusted to its extremeoperative length for operation of a ladle in pots of the largest size,motion of guide 51 produces the maximum tranverse motion of the bearing13 and of the ladle 100, since the guide 51 is nearest to the pivot ofthe universal joint 40, and that when the operative length of said crank21 is lessened, the distance between the guide 51 and the pivot of saidjoint 10 being increased, transverse movement of the bearing 13 isautomatically decreased, even though the stroke of the cam rod 49 and ofthe guide frame 51 is unchanged.

1 claim:

1. In mechanism of the character described, a stirring rod adjustable inlength, a ladle at one extremity of said rod, and means for operatingthe other end of said rod in a circular path and means operating in asubstantially spiral path engaging a portion, of said rod intermediateof said extremities for causing said ladle to stir a mixture by movementthereof along a different path on each revolution.

2. In mechanism of the character described, a stirring rod, anadjustable crank for rotating one end of said rod comprising a leadscrew and means movable on said screw operatively connected to said rod,a pivoted bearing adapted to oscillate about a vertical axis slidablysupporting said rod,

- length, a la adjustable means for reciprocating said bearinghorizontally in one direction, and means for reciprocating said hearingin a subshnnially perpendicular direction nonsynchronously with saidfirst mentioned bearing reciprocatory means.

3. In mechanism ot the character deserioed, a stirring rod, a ladle onsaid rod, a hearing for said rod in which said rod is slidable, means;:or giving said ladle a subst ntially elliptic: l movement and meansfor giving said bearing reciprocatory movement l the elliptical move- 1Lil ment of ladle.

ll In mechanism of the character described, a hollow stirring rodadjustable in die at one extremity of said rod, a hear g' slidz-illysupporting said rod, intermediate oi the ends 0'? said rod, means forrotating the other extremity of said rod, and means for reciprocatingsaid bearii'ig transv rsely.

in. mechanism of the character described, a stirring rod, a lad e cariedat one extremity 0t said rot, a bearing intermc' l diate ot the ends ofsaic rod, and ad ustable means for operating said rod to give said ladlea movement in a continuous path of whica the locus is substantially thesurface of an oblate irrotational ellip oi l.

6. In niech nisn'i of the den ibed, a stirri rod adjustable ll length, aiity of said rod, a bearladle at one ext;

supporting said rod intermediate or the ends thereof, and means forgivingsaid ladle stanially elliptical helical path having an'ecetern'iined pitch on each revolution, compidsing adjustable meansfor rotating the other end of said rod, adjustable means forreciprocating said bearing substantially an adjustable scooning movementin a suhiorizontaily in one direction, and means for sii'miltaneonsiyreciprocating said bearing nOn-s nchrononsly horizontally in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to said first mentioned horizontaldirection.

7. In a mechanism of the character descrihec, a stirring rod adjustablein length, aladle at one end 0" said rod, an adjustable crank opeatively connected to the other end of said rod a pivoted hearingslidabiy supporting aid rod, a crank adjustable in length operativelyconnected to said hea mg said bearing horizontally tor reciprocating inone direction, and cam operated means for reciprocating said bearinghorizontally in a substantially pcrpendlcular direction.

8. In mechanism of the character described, a Sil11"lirod ad ustable inlength, a

ladle at one extremity of slid rod, a crank oper lively connected to theother extremity of said rod, means "or varying; the operative lengtlsaid eranx, a i bearing; in vliich 391d rod is tulcrunicd, and means forsinniitz-neou lv gull-lg said hearing horirental -'*eiprocatorymovements relatively non-s n'onous in two dire (ions substantial yndicular.

9.111 mechanism of the character dei hollon stii ing rod, means for ro-'l of '0 rod, a bearing slids means for recipro- '11 one directi n andrid hearing simultaneon ally perpendicular directi ic-an for giving; theother r iar movement, a 1novroe, and means for bodily rid pivotSlll'IUltEI-HGOUSlQJ in srantially perpendicular. nixing machine, aladle.

various sizes and r ladle scooping mow pot, comprising a stirine in lcgth for carrying ant: opera ively connected to ole means for varying the1 of said crank, a bearing tor said rod intermediate of the endstherett, means for constraining said bearing to move in a horizontalplane, a connectingrod opcrative' connected at one end thereof to saidbearing, a cranl: ad ustably connected to the other end of saidconnecting rod,

n eans tor var-Fir the operative length of l sad last mentioned crank,and means for reciprocating said bearing substantially perpendicularfivto sa d connecting rod.

t JJSliiPl-l ll. KONIGSBEHG.

